Cigarette or cigar holder



16, 1962 s. 1.. ATKINS 3,058,476

CIGARETTE OR CIGAR HOLDER Filed Jan. 10, 1961 I r I I a I I III IIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIA 'IYIII United States This invention relates to improvements in cigarette and cigar holders and is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 612,419, filed September 27, 1956, now abandoned.

An object of the invention, among others, is to provide an improved cigarette or cigar holder which permits an admixture of clean air and smoke therein in response to suction on the mouth piece and which reduces the tar and nicotine content in the smoke before it reaches the mouth of the smoker, thereby providing the smoker with a milder, smoother, cooler, and less irritating smoke than the smoke from known holders.

In accordance with the invention, the cigarette or cigar holder is provided with one or more unobstructed holes in the side wall near that end of the holder which is adapted to hold the cigarette or cigar but where the cigarette or cigar will not cover up the holes when inserted into the holder. An important feature of the invention is a ring-type baflle or annular washer closely positioned to the holes and between the holes and that end of the holder which is designed to receive the cigarette or cigar. The construction of the holder is such that the cigarette or cigar rests against the bafile o-r washer. A hollow, unobstructed internal aeration chamber is provided between the baffle and the mouthpiece.

The following is a detailed description of the invention given in conjunction with a drawing wherein the single FIGURE illustrates a horizontal section of the cigarette or cigar holder of the invention provided with an aeration chamber having unobstructed holes in the side walls to enable an admixture of clean air and smoke, and an apertured ring-type bafile or annular washer positioned closely to the holes and against which the cigarette or cigar is designed to rest.

The improved holder is an integral one-piece tubular member characterized by the absence of movable or rotatable parts and comprises a mouth piece at one end, a larger opposite end 12 adapted to receive a cigarette or cigar 14, and an internally unobstructed aeration chamber 15 positioned between both ends 10 and 12 and communicating with the mouth piece 10 through a duct 11. The end 12 includes a cigarette receiving socket which, as shown, has the same internal and external diameters as the chamber 15. Near the large end 12 of the holder but spaced sufficiently from this end so as not to be covered by the cigarette or cigar are two small holes 16 in the side wall. These holes are preferably oppositely disposed to each other and communicate with the aeration chamber along a line or lines substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette or cigar holder. A transverse bafile wall 13, in the form of an annulus or ring having a central aperture appreciably larger than the air holes or passages 16 but appreciably smaller than the larger hole at the end of the holder adapted to receive the cigarette is positioned in the end 12 and prevents the cigarette or cigar from entering too far into the holder. The sidewall portion of the holder between the baffle 13 and the open end adapted to receive a cigarette is impermeable to the passage of smoke. The apertured washer-like baffle 13 is positioned forwardly of the holes 16 and close to them and their relative location is important in achieving a proper draft on the cigarette. The holder and the baffle ring may be made of any suitable material, such as metal or a plastic, such as Bakelite, and acts also as a stop at the end adapted to receive the cigarette or cigar. The holes atent ice 16 in the side wall of the aeration chamber permit clean air to enter and mix with the smoke in the duct in response to suction on the mouth piece and, by virtue of the close positioning of the holes and the baffie, the smoke is thus effectively aerated and the toxicity is eifectively reduced. It should be understood, however, that the number and size of the small holes should be such as to permit a limited admixture of air into the duct with each puff on the cigarette, otherwise the smoker will be sucking an undesired large amount of air to the detriment of the enjoyment of the cigarette or cigar. The location and size of the holes are such as to permit efficient draft upon the tobacco without needlessly increasing the draft resistance or needlessly impeding the smoke. By judicious selection of the size of holes and centrally-apertured baflle, there is obtained a desired draft on the tobacco and aeration of the smoke.

In one cigarette holder constructed in accordance with FIG. 1 and found to be highly satisfactory, the holder had an overall length of 4 /8 inches, the apertured bafile 13 was approximately /a inch thick and was located A inch away from the end adapted to receive the cigarette, the hole in the baflie was %,2 inch in diameter while the two oppositely positioned side holes '16 were each .033 inch in diameter. These side holes were positioned about /s inch behind the bafile. The large opening at the end of the cigarette holder adapted to receive the cigarette was inch in diameter. In this holder, the hole in the bafile 13 was more than three times larger than the small side holes 16 but less than onethird as large as the opening in end 12.

It should be understood that the tapered portion 10 of the holder can be appreciably reduced in length or even eliminated altogether without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A cigarette or cigar holder comprising a substantially cylindrical member having a hollow interior having a diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of an ordinary cigarette or cigar and terminating at one end in a socket portion adapted to receive the unlit end of a. cigarette or cigar therein, the socket being defined by a centrally apertured wall extending transversely of the cylindrical member near said one end, said cylindrical member terminating at the end opposite said one end in a mouthpiece and having an intermediate portion having substantially the same internal and external diameters as the socket portion, the transverse wall being planar and defining an end portion of an expansion chamber for smoke passing from said socket and through the aperture in said Wall, the expansion chamber having a longitudinal dimension materially greater than the longitudinal dimension of the socket portion, and said intermediate portion having a passage in the cylindrical wall portion thereof close to said transverse wall, said passage having an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member, whereby air may be drawn into the expansion chamber and be mixed with smoke entering thereinto to cool said smoke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,630,243 Rosan May 24, 1927 1,989,069 Warnke Jan. 22, 1935 2,189,684 Sprinkel Feb. 8, 1940 2,833,289 Atkins May 6, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 360,268 France Apr. 18, 1906 816,766 Germany Oct. 11, 1951 3,896 Great Britain of 1887 5,612 Great Britain of 1894 

